NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 17, 2025
Nazem Kadri believes he should have a chance to make Canada’s Olympic team, Marc-Edouard Vlasic isn’t happy over being bought out by the Sharks, an update on Flyers forward Tyson Foerster, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
THE ATHLETIC: Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri recently told Julian McKenzie that he believes he deserves a chance to make Canada’s 2026 Olympic Men’s hockey team.
Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).
“I think over the last few seasons I’ve certainly proven that with my statistics and the winning pedigree,” Kadri said. “I think it speaks for itself.”
Kadri was left off the 42-man orientation camp roster. The Olympic roster will be finalized in early 2026.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A strong performance this season could earn Kadri a place on the team, especially if injuries strike before the tournament.
THE MERCURY NEWS: Marc-Eduoard Vlasic is displeased over how his 19-season tenure with the San Jose Sharks ended this year.
The 38-year-old defenseman was under the impression he would return for the final season of his contract in 2025-26 following what he claimed was a positive exit interview. Instead, they informed him at the end of June that they were buying him out.
Vlasic isn’t considering retirement. He’s hoping to land with another NHL team this season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age and injuries led to a decline in Vlasic’s performance and a reduction in his playing time over the past three seasons. At the time of the buyout, Sharks general manager Mike Grier acknowledged it was a difficult decision, but they needed to free up a roster spot to improve their defense corps. He claimed Vlasic handled the decision well.
NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers general manager Daniel Briere last week said that winger Tyson Foerster should be ready for the start of the season. The 23-year-old was recovering from surgery to address an infection from an injury suffered during the 2025 World Championships.
“Everything looks good right now,” said Briere.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A healthy Foerster will be crucial for the Flyers this season. He was second on the club with 25 goals as a sophomore in 2024-25.
TSN: Utah Mammoth prospect Caleb Desnoyers underwent wrist surgery last week and will be sidelined for 12 weeks. The 18-year-old forward was selected fourth overall by the Mammoth in the 2025 NHL Draft.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will affect Desnoyers’ chances of cracking the Mammoth roster this season. In all likelihood, he was slated to return to the QMJHL before suffering the injury.
SPORTICO: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman joined his NFL, NBA, and MLB peers last week to meet with members of the House Judiciary Committee regarding the Sports Broadcasting Act of 1961, specifically regarding blackout rules.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stick tap to “George O” for the link. Time will tell if this leads to any meaningful change to the SBA.
THE ATHLETIC: Billionaire financier Tom Dundon and a group of investors reached an agreement last week to buy the NBA’s Portland Trailblazers. Dundon is the owner of the Carolina Hurricanes.
The sale of the Trailblazers is not yet final. There is some concern in Portland that the group could move the franchise to another city. Dundon and his Hurricanes’ spokesperson didn’t respond to questions about whether he intends to keep the team in Portland.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: The name of the Lightning’s home venue will change from Amalie Arena to Benchmark International Arena.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators announced last week that they will maintain their AHL affiliate in Belleville through the 2029-30 season.
Kadri is a good solid NHL player but with only 12 forward spots amongst the best forward group in the world he is just not there. He s the type of guy that if invited and things Don t go his way he could become a disturbance.
Re the Pro Sports Commissioners meeting with the House Judiciary Committee regarding the modern-day ramifications of the 1961 Sports Broad casting Act, you have to wonder what effect – IF any changes are made – that would have on NHL coverage in Canada.
I find it annoying whenever, for example, the telecast of a Leafs game is blacked out in the Ottawa area even if the Senators are not playing, with the only attainable explanation being the wishy-washy “Rogers Sportsnet has their own broadcasting restrictions that allow a broadcaster, team, or the NHL to protect the local playback of a game by imposing a blackout to areas outside of the specific team region.“
And I know the reverse is true because I hear the same complaint from a son and daughter-in-law who live in the Scarborough region of the GTA.
Welcome back everyone!
I never understood blackouts. I guess at some point it might of made financial sense but the way the world works today, a bigger captive audience is big easy ad revenues. That figure will greatly outweigh the money from the gates, nowadays. I can’t remember but isn’t ad revenues one of the revenue streams split 32 ways (or how ever they do their revenue sharing)? Side note, what a concept this sharing of profits amongst competitors.
I live in the Upper Peninsula of MI 500 miles from Detroit. Yet most times when the Wings have a home game and is on national TV, I cannot watch that broadcast because it is blacked out. They certainly do not take mileage from the venue to determine their blackout radius!
I don’t get the Vlasic buyout to be honest. It couldn’t have been about money as they were barely at the floor and they only saved $2-2.5m.
It wasn’t about making room for kids, they signed Leddy and Klinberg, both long in the tooth, well past their best before dates to $4m each one year deals.
They added noted pylon, Vincent Desharnais for $2m and Ryan Reaves of all people for $1.35m.
The additions feel like bargain basement hunting to reach the cap floor, one year deals that can be dropped at the end of the year.
We’re thinking along the same line this morning habfan30. I was composing this as you were posting (now I’ll see if it goes through – I’ve tried twice only to be informed that I am “posting too quickly … slow down” ??)
Kind of a strange – and seemingly callous – move by the Sharks in buying out Vlasic, with 1 season to go on his contract.
The cost to them this season will be $4,666,667 (which drops to $1,166,667 next year) for a savings this season of $3,333,333. Adding that buy-out to those of Martin Jones ($1,666,667) and Nicolai Knyzhov ($466,667), and factoring in retention costs for Karlsson ($1,500,000) and Hertl ($1,387,500) means they have $9,687,501 in dead cap for the coming season.
That drops what could have been a $29,448,333 cap reserve to what is now shown as $19,740,832, with the maximum 23 (13F 8D 2G) committed to and a total cap pay-out of $66,051,667 – $4,548,333 below the cap floor of $70.6 mil. Keeping Vlasic would have covered that!
They must have some planned moves up their sleeve – perhaps involving one or two of the remaining UFAs or a trade to bring in a high cap hit.
And when I say “callous” I’m looking at the fact the guy has played 19 seasons for the Sharks.
Certainly no “sentimental … a Shark for life” factor there!
I believe kadri is exactly the type of individual you want playing for you in the Olympics. He’s clutch and a SC champ! The Avalanche haven’t been the same since he left for Calgary and he is sorely missed. The Avalanche made a mistake not investing in him. I can understand why he is pissed not getting at least an opportunity to make the team
Kadri can certainly play his way onto the team. But as Sr points out it’s an extremely deep group and there are many better players ahead of him.
Kadri is certainly scrappy but his problem is that he’s prone to taking dumb penalties at the worst times. That often proves very costly in best in best tournaments.
“there are many better players a head of him” ? I don’t agree with that! Like who? While in Colorado, he stopped his pattern of bad penalties because bednar doesn’t appreciate that: always spending the period killing penalties. Scored huge OT goal in TB in SC Final as well as clutch goals @ other times. I would think you would want guys like that on your team? I will take him any day over other guys. As I recall, Point, Reinhart , Koneckny, Jarvis, Stone didn’t do much of anything in 4 Nations. Why not give kadri at least an invite?
tommy boy, when you say “getting at least an opportunity to make the team” the same thought crossed my mind with regard to Thomas Chabot.
Kadri is a very good player.
Cirelli, Bennet and Tavares would all need to be injured for Kadri to get a sniff.
ds all three of those players including Kadri are really similar players that where one has strength another has that as its weakness, stuff like grit, net front presence, goal scoring, etc. Fit will determine a lot.
George O, I am not as familiar with chabot like you are because I don’t get to see Ottawa all the time. He’s a damn. But I know he is good. Maybe he should? I’m just saying, I think, I can’t see why kadri wouldn’t get a shot. He’s really good. ….chabot, was he on Detroit before or somewhere else?
I would be all in on Cerelli and those other guys ds mentioned. I think kadri is just as good. You know Cerelli because of Cooper
tommyboy, he was drafted in the 2015 1st round – 18th overall by Ottawa – and over 512gp has 82-game averages of 11g 378a 48pts.
Just acknowledging his steady service by at least inviting him to the camp would have been nice.